
Cllr Graham Longley, Executive Councillor for Enterprise, Tourism and Economic Development, yesterday (21 January 2015) signed the council up to Climate Local – a local authority pledge to combat climate change at a local level – just a month after the Council agreed a pioneering Low Carbon Strategy.
This will see the Council helping local residents and businesses to make the most of the benefits of acting on climate change, such as saving money on energy bills, generating income from renewable energy and attracting investment into green industries.
Cllr Longley said: “Southend already goes above and beyond many local authorities when it comes to tackling climate change and embracing the opportunities presented by the transition to a green economy.
“We are currently encouraging businesses and residents to ensure they are getting the best deal on their energy prices through the Energy Switch.
“Further, we have recently announced our proposals to set up our own energy company in partnership with supplier OVO Energy Ltd, which would see market-leading tariffs on offer to local residents and businesses and a new income stream to help the council meet the challenge of protecting services against shrinking budgets.
“This is an ambitious strategy that will see Southend at the vanguard of rapidly-developing green industry.”